After being out testing loads in the 444 and seeing the posts on the Milk jug tests all the time, It brought back to memory something I did back in 1989.

I had always wanted to go to Alaska, and either never had the money or the time. Well, since I was divorced 2 yrs before, I had the money and decided to quit my job and take the time.
IN fact I took 8 weeks. Loaded up my 1988 4 Runner, turned it into a Real 'Okie' rig ( gas cans, etc) and headed north.

I did the grand tour in British Columbia, went up the Cassier Highway instead of the Al Can HWY. Once in the Yukon at Watson's Lake, I went the circuit thru the Yukon also, and into the NW Territories. It was late June and there was plenty of daylight.

In those day one could take firearms into Canada heading for Alaska. I took a 30/06 and my 444 Marlin. I was planning on being in the back country and knew I would have run ins with Bears etc ( which I did, but did not have to kill any to stay alive).

Our side of some little town in the Yukon, I saw something in the distance off the road. It was a large open area. So I went over to explore it, and it turned out to just be a local dump.

No gate, a few bears took off as I pulled up to it. It was kinda cool, all the junk that people ditched up there. From oil cans to a couple of wrecked pickups.

I found two 5 gallons of some type of oil ditched there, that were unopened. They were not motor oil. So I wondered what would happen if they were shot with a 30/06 and a 444.

So on the hood of a wrecked 2 yr old Ford Pickup, I sat the first bucket up and shot it with my 30/06 from off the hood of my Toyota pickup..... It blew it open but nothing really dramatic. Was using a 220 grain Round Nose.


So then I sit the other bucket on the hood of the junked pickup. Don't know why but I sat another bucket of old engine oil on top of the 5 gallon container.

I go back 50 yards again and shoot the bucket of oil with the 444 ( the 240 grain Remington Factory ammo load). This one was DRAMATIC. The dump must have been 5 to 7 acres.

Oil was raining over the entire dump! Got a light film of it on my toyota, which as soon as I hit dirt sections of the Al Can, made an inch plus of dust settle and stick to my toyota.

It took 3 times thru a car wash in Whitehorse to clean off the dust and oil mix.

If anyone ever tries this, I recommend doing it at over 50 yrds and also wearing an old rain coat, and don't do it from off the hood of your vehicle!

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

spASHHHH



My last post with the national park service was Wonder Lake Alaska,,,It took me 6 weeks to drive up from NC,,,,Started in Michigan and headed west and north and zigged and zagged all over Canada,,,Riding Mnt. National park was cool spent a week there in 2 feet of snow, had a moose piss on the tent one night,,,,I was sitting real quite and hugging the 12 ga,,,,way pre tourist season. Prince Alberyt national Park was real nice too,,,real cold and clear lake. Baniff and Jasper are wonderful if you dodge the tourest trap areas...Was a great trip plan on doing it again when the kids are old enough to take if they are into it. Coming back in Sept. I had to stop in Whitehorse and pressure wash 500 pounds of Ice off of my Toyota truck,,,the whole undercarrage was solid,,,wheels would start rubbing and get hard to turn hafta stop and beat the Ice of the inside wheel wells up front,,,ahhh what a trip.



5 gallon buckets of sheetrock compound also makes for a rather nice Kaboooom with a 300 grain softpoint doing 2300 fps!!!!!

I had a Marlin 444 with a 22" (I believe) barrel. Realy liked that rifle and killed many aluminum cans, plastic jugs and such with it. If I'm not mistaken Remington loads the same bullet atop 444 cases as they do 44 Mag. witch would explain some of the dramatic close range deer kills I've seen.

That reminds me of something that happened to me in my younger days. I was walking down a dirt road with a friend and we spotted a turtle, we walked right up to it, he pulled out his 44 Mag. and fired. We were both looking at the turtle sized hole in the ground were the turtle was and wondering were the turtle went, then it started raining turtle soup